Pilot snow plow



March 5, 1957 c. H. WRIGHT 2,783,555

PILOT snow PLOW Filed Sept. 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n Ill March 5, 1957 c. H. WRIGHT PILOT snow PLOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1953 United States Patent Q PILOT SNOW PLOW Chester H. Wright, Chicago, IlL, assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1953, Serial No. 381,775 3 Claims. (Cl. 37-30) The invention relates in general to railway rolling stock and, more particularly, to a pilot snow plow for the forward end of a locomotive and having footboards permanently mounted thereon.

One object of the invention is to provide a pilot snow plow structure having a pair of footboards mounted thereon for swinging movement between lowered or operative position, wherein the locomotive can be used as a switcher or for transfer service, and raised or inoperative position, wherein the locomotive can be operated as a snow plow or for road service.

Another object is to provide a snow plow structure with permanently mounted footboards and cooperating means for maintaining the footboards in selected position.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a pilot snow plow showing the footboards in lowered position.

Figure 2 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a footboard.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 2 but showing a footboard in raised position.

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a horizontal transverse section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 2.

In the drawings, A designates the front end of a locomotive frame on which is mounted a pilot snow plow embodying the construction of the present invention and including a unitary casting comprising a substantially upright front web 1, concaved vertically (Figure 4) and V-shaped in horizontal section from side to side of the locomotive (Figure 1). Web 1 is braced by rearwardly extending horizontal webs 2, 3, 4 and vertical webs 5, 6, terminating in flanges 7 having vertically aligned slots 7a for bolts 8, securing the plow to knee bracket 9, whereby the plow is adjustably mounted on the locomotive frame A. Front web 1 comprises relatively inclined sections 10 meeting at the center to form a central edge for cutting into a mass of snow on the track and the inclined lateral sections carry the snow to the right and left of and beyond the roadbed. The lower edge of web 1 is horizontal. The upper edge inclines downwardly from each end towards the center of the plow.

Each lateral section 10 of the main web 1 is ofiset rearwardly to form a recess 11 comprising a flat horizontal bottom wall or ledge 12 aligned with horizontal web 2 and a vertical rear wall 13 and a relatively shallow 2,783,555 Patented Mar. 5, 1957' top wall 14, parallel to bottom wall 12 and end walls 16. Pivoted to end walls 16 and to hinge butts or upright lugs 17 spaced therefrom is a footboard 20 of grate design for self clearance, having a plurality of spaced parallel, transversely extending bars 21 and parallel, intersecting bands 22. At each of its inner corners footboard 20 is provided with a projecting hinge lug 23 receiving a hinge pin 24 which is in double shear. Footboard 20 is recessed, as at 27, to facilitate removal and securement of hinge pins 24. Between outer hinge butt 17 and the adjacent footboard hinge lugs 23 is a washer 28 to prevent lateral play of footboard 20, as well as to compensate for variations in the castings. Outer end wall 16 extends forwardly of the associated hinge butt 17 and is apertured for a bolt 29 to abut against the underside of footboard 20 when the same is in vertical or raised position (Figure 7)- to prevent downward swinging thereof and similarly to abut against the upper side of footboard 20 (Figure 9) when the same is in lowered position to prevent upward swinging thereof. A chipping pad 30 is provided on the upper face of footboard hinge lugs 23 for engagement with bolt 29 when footboard 20 is in lowered position. A chipping pad 31 is formed on bottom wall 12 for contact with the under portion of footboard 20 when in said position. Bolts 29 are adapted for ready removal to permit swinging of footboard 20.

Formed on the upper middle portion of the recess rear wall 13 is a chipping pad 32 for bearing contact with footboard 20 when in raised or inoperative position to prevent the same from rattling during travel of the locomotive. Recess bottom wall 15 has provided therein a drainage opening 33.

The pilot snow plow described is permanently equipped with swingable footboards which, during locomotive switching or transfer service, can be lowered to form a support step for the switchman. When the locomotive is to be utilized as a snow plow or in general road service, footboards 20 may be swung upwardly, being held in such position by bolts 29, in which position they will be completely received within recesses 11 and will not interfere with use of the structure as a pilot.

The details of construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the v scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pilot snow plow construction having a forwardly facing upright web comprising a pair of lateral sections inclined to each other and meeting on the forward center line of the plow and extending laterally and rear- Wardly therefrom, at least one of said lateral sections having a longitudinally extending recess formed in its outwardly directed face, said recess having a lower, horizontal wall, a rear vertical wall, and end walls having F first and second openings, there being spaced hinge butts projecting forwardly from said rear wall, a grate type footboard having spaced hinge lugs on its normally inner portion, hinge pins engaging said hinge lugs, hinge butts, and the adjacent end wall through the first openings therein, said footboard being swingable between lowered position, where it is substantially parallel with said recess lower wall and projects forwardly therebeyond, and raised position, where it is Wholly received within said recess, and an abutment member removably secured in the second opening in the recess end walls for bearing engagement against the upper face of the footboard when the same is in lowered position and against the opposite face of said footboard when in raised position to maintain said footboard against accidental movement.

2. A pilot snow plow structure having a rigid onepiece, generally upright web, having a forward face with a restricted portion ofiset away from said face and providing a recess with upright end walls and horizontaltop and bottom walls, a separately formed footboard receivable, in upright position, within said recess and provided with hinged butts adjacent to said recess end walls, hinge pins extending through said hinged butts, and end walls and pivotally mounting the lower portion of the footboard on the web when the footboard is in upright position in said recess, said footboard being swingable on said hinge pins to a horizontal position in which it projects forwardly from said face and is further supportedon said bottom wall. r

3. A pilot snow plow structure according to claim 2 which includes a removable pin-like abutment element insertable through one of said end walls in front of said footboard when it is in upright position and above said footboard when it is in horizontal position and securely holding said footboard against swinging movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,739 Busteed Aug. 3, 1880 345,257 Priest July 6, 1886 413,305 Phillips Oct. 22, 1889 1,225,353 Phillips May 8, 1917 1,734,662 Woodard Nov. 5, 1929 1,953,298 Goodwin Apr. 3, 1934 2,130,837 Brenner Sept. 20, 1938 2,218,060 Watson Oct. 15, 1940 

